Gamal “Aziz” Abdelaziz, 62, of Las Vegas, former president and executive director of Wynn Macau resort was indicted and arrested last week. According to the FBI, he is cooperating in the investigation.
Aziz was arrested with dozens of others who allegedly paid bribes in order for their children to attend finer universities and colleges across the nation.
The US Attorney’s office in Boston conducted the investigation which led to last week’s wave of arrests of the rich and the powerful, as well as the managers of the company rigging the system in return for payments.
Aziz is better known as one of the moving forces in Wynn Resort’s early efforts to motivate Mayor Carlo DeMaria to set-up a referendum in Everett and to make sure it passed so the license could be awarded to Wynn.
Abdelaziz and the mayor were close during this crucial time when the private sector mixed it up with the Everett municipal government to steer the casino here.
He is accused of bribing Donna Heinel, the senior associate athletic director at the University of California/USC, to designate his daughter as a recruit to the USC basketball team in order to get her admitted to the university.
He is accused of paying Key Worldwide Foundation $300,000 and paying $20,000 per month directly to Heinel.
His daughter never had a chance of playing basketball at USC.
Listen to this conversation with the mayor and Gamal sharing good wishes. Gives you a bit of insight into how the whole casino thing came to be.
– The Editor